ODB: deja vu all over again
October 8, 2009
READ: John 21:1-14
After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. —John 21:1
Baseball legend Yogi Berra is known for his oft-repeated quips like, “It ain’t over till it’s over” and “It’s like déjà vu all over again!”
I wonder if the disciples felt déjà vu when they saw Jesus standing by the shore (John 21). Discouraged and distracted by their own needs in the shadow of Peter’s denial and their desertion of Jesus, they had abandoned their calling to follow Jesus and returned to their previous occupation—fishing.
Then, after a fruitless night of fishing, a voice from the shore called out, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). When they did, the nets were so full that they couldn’t be dragged in. No doubt their minds raced back to their first encounter with Jesus—when He showed up on the shore of their careers and, after another miraculous catch of fish, called them to leave their nets and follow Him (Luke 5:1-11).
Like the disciples, we may want to return to our own agendas when we get discouraged in our walk with Jesus. But then Jesus shows up again on the shore of our lives to extend forgiveness and to draw us back to those moments when He first called us.
It’s like déjà vu all over again! — Joe Stowell
Jesus calls us to follow Him— and repeats His call when necessary.
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Loading ...ODJ: our chief task
October 8, 2009
READ: Matthew 7:12-23
The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (v.14).
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?” sang Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello a generation ago. That ageless rhetorical question still lacks a satisfactory answer in the 21st century.
A religion scholar suggests, “The chief task of our time is to build a global society where people of all persuasions can live together in peace and harmony.” She claims that since all the major religions share a belief in the Golden Rule, this provides a solid basis for unity.
Sounds great. Jesus used the Golden Rule in His Sermon on the Mount: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you” (Matthew 7:12).
But there is a dangerous implication inherent in any appeal for religious unity. Jesus called His followers to be unified (John 17:20-21), but in the very context of His restatement of the Golden Rule, He also warned us against false prophets and teachers (Matt. 7:15-20). He spoke of the limited number of people who would actually find the right way. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate,” He said. “The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way” (Matt. 7:13).
Jesus never calls us to make war against other religions. Yet, neither does He promise us peace among the nations in our time. That peace will come later, when Messiah sets all things in order.
For now, Christ offers a deep, abiding, personal peace of heart and mind (John 14:27). He instructs us to forgive readily, to lovingly work through our personal injustices, and to acknowledge our own faults first. Our chief task is to take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). That’s a solid basis for unity that is sure to draw the attention of a searching world. —Tim Gustafson
The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647 states: “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” In what practical ways can you live out that ideal?
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